Cattleya Sierra Blanca 'Mt. Whitney' AM/AOS

[NEslipper]

Original division from Waldor. This cross was registered by Armacost in 1985 and is C. Athena Chagaris x C. Norton Benis. Athena Chagaris has C. Helen P Dane and C. Barbara Billingsley as parents, and Norton Benis has C. Bow Bells and C. Joyce Hannington in its background, so this is really a pedigree plant. Sierra Blanca is one of my most vigorous growers, the plant is now a huge sprawling thing, and it throws multiple sheaths a year. This is, however, the first time it has bloomed for me so I'm a little disappointed. For something so vigorous and that throws so many sheaths, I would have hoped for more flowers by now, and more than one flower per sheath....This one does have a second bud that still appears to be expanding, so I may yet get two flowers this cycle. This flower has nice overlapping petals, lovely golden throat, and the most incredible rose fragrance, but it's quite small - a lot of plant for one tiny flower. The flower also didn't extend out of the sheath, and I had to peel the sheath back so the flower could fully open. The award photo in Orchid Pro is quite incredible, so I'm on the fence, I will probably give it one more growth/bloom cycle and if doesn't improve, it may need to find a new home...

 

[Ozpaph]

pretty good for a 40yo hybrid

 

[monocotman]

I’d certainly give it more time. My recent purpurata ‘Brazil’ took three cycles before showing its true potential, even though all the growths were full sized.

 

[Paphluvr]

Very pretty flower, love the contrast of orange on white. Regarding you having to help the sheath open; what were your temperatures and humidity like during that period?

 

[Guldal]

I’d certainly give it more time. My recent purpurata ‘Brazil’ took three cycles before showing its true potential, even though all the growths were full sized.

I can only second, David. It's a wonderfully golden colored throat on the pristine white background... Give it 2-3 attempts more to show its potential, while you up its cultural demands.
If it doesn't improve give or sell it to somebody in your local orchid society - and I'm sure, this will markedly improve its performance, and force you to smile through gritted teeth, when they next year present it with an abundance of gorgeous flowers!

 

[terryros]

What natural horizontal width did you get on this flower? The AM awarded Sierra Blanca 'Mt. Whitney' had flower width of 15.5, compared to the most recently awarded Joyce Hannington at 16.5 and the most recent Bow Bells at 18.8. The most recent Athena Chagaris was 17.8. So something else in the background of Sierra Blanca reduced the flower size.

Neither of the two awarded 'Mt. Whitney' plants had more than two flowers per spike.

 

[Carmella.carey]

It seems to have lighter substance than mine; But it might be slight variation from meri-stem cloneing.
-Patrick

 

[NEslipper]

What natural horizontal width did you get on this flower? The AM awarded Sierra Blanca 'Mt. Whitney' had flower width of 15.5, compared to the most recently awarded Joyce Hannington at 16.5 and the most recent Bow Bells at 18.8. The most recent Athena Chagaris was 17.8. So something else in the background of Sierra Blanca reduced the flower size.

Neither of the two awarded 'Mt. Whitney' plants had more than two flowers per spike.

Photo attached. It's tiny. I would be over-the-moon with 15.5. I don't know if something necessarily reduced the size, it could just be that this particular plant was on the smaller side of the size distribution from the cross, but had exceptional form. The award photo is certainly stunning, arguably FCC caliber form, but yes on the smaller size compared with other awards. That said, size isn't everything - Nancy Off 'Linwood' was 19.9 and still only ended up with an AM...

 

[NEslipper]

It seems to have lighter substance than mine; But it might be slight variation from meri-stem cloneing.
-Patrick

This came from the Waldor division list, so my understanding is it is an original division. More likely it's just a poor flowering, it's also very small. It got extremely warm and dry while the bud was developing, so that may have affected the flower quality.

 

[NEslipper]

Well, the second bud on this plant has opened, and I have to say it has officially earned it's keep! Size, form, and substance on the second flower is outstanding. Now I can see how it got that AM! It's weird, the second bud came from the same sheath as the first, underwhelming flower, but was several weeks delayed. The first flower is already fading - not sure if it's thinner substance is in part to blame for that. This second bloom would be almost 15 cm in NS if the tips didn't curl back, and it has absolutely MASSIVE overlapping petals. Really happy with the improvements, and I'm continually surprised how variable flower quality can be, even on the same spike! Hard to believe it's the same plant. Sigh...I guess I won't be making any space by getting rid of this plant...



Here's the second bud that came from the same sheath, the stem and bud developed after the first flower was open, never seen that before, weird...

You can tell from this picture how much bigger the second flower is

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Much better shape!

 

[big923cattleya]

Well it has been my experience that warm and dry can shrink Cattleya flowers very easily. If I learned nothing else in my 9 years in Florida, it is that you can give them too much light and grow them too warm. And that adequate water is a MUST. While they expand and develop within the sheath, I feel that watering is critical. I mean what is there to a big, floppy, 6-8” Cattleya flower?!?! A smidge of flower tissue and lots of water!
And I would be willing to bet that once you were disappointed with the first flower, you gave this second bud more water.
Do I see hints of sunburn damage here and there? That might support what I am thinking here.

BTW, I give three total chances for an orchid to improve. If the flower ‘continues to howl at the moon’, I find it a new home.
Good luck going forward!!!

 

[PeteM]

Thanks for sharing. Glad the second flower was improved. Very strange indeed, I’ve never seen this bud / bloom delay before.

 

[southernbelle]

Really lovely!! I see why you are impressed, you should be!!

 

[NEslipper]

Well it has been my experience that warm and dry can shrink Cattleya flowers very easily. If I learned nothing else in my 9 years in Florida, it is that you can give them too much light and grow them too warm. And that adequate water is a MUST. While they expand and develop within the sheath, I feel that watering is critical. I mean what is there to a big, floppy, 6-8” Cattleya flower?!?! A smidge of flower tissue and lots of water!
And I would be willing to bet that once you were disappointed with the first flower, you gave this second bud more water.
Do I see hints of sunburn damage here and there? That might support what I am thinking here.

BTW, I give three total chances for an orchid to improve. If the flower ‘continues to howl at the moon’, I find it a new home.
Good luck going forward!!!

There is some sunburn on some of the leaves, but that’s mostly from last year. I was frustrated with this plant throwing out multiple leads with big fat sheaths but no buds, so I pushed the light as much as I could. I’ve backed off a little since then, but hopefully it will be a regular bloomer now.

I tend to give a lot of water this time of year anyway. Most of my catts are in full growth mode and last year I gave a lot more water during this period then I was in previous years, and I had the best fall/winter bloom season I’ve ever had. I think I was slightly under watering in the past since I was afraid of rotting out the Cattleya roots. Fingers crossed the blooms look like this second one moving forward!